Volume 30, No. 22
February 19, 1999
Contact: Scott A. Miller 570-662-4844
NEWS
Koloski edits newly published Kate Chopin book of stories
Penguin Classics, the world's largest publisher of classic fiction in paperback, is set to release March 3 a collection of Kate Chopin short stories edited by MU English professor Bernard Koloski.
"Kate Chopin: Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie" takes its title from the titles of the two books of short stories (44 in all) Chopin published in 1894 and 1897, prior to publishing her 1899 novel "The Awakening," celebrating its centennial this year. Koloski says "The Awakening," largely unknown until the 1970s, is now read as often as "The Scarlet Letter," "Moby Dick," "Huckleberry Finn," "Little Women," and "The Great Gatsby."
"Reviewers lauded (the short stories) as charming, delicate portraits of Creole and Acadian life," Koloski writes in his introduction to the paperback edition, but many reviewers found "The Awakening" "disturbing and flawed -- disagreeable, unhealthy, vulgar, morbid."
It wasn't until the 1970s, when thanks to the work of scholars like Koloski, who devoted his doctoral dissertation to "The Awakening," people became excited by Chopin's work again.
"Today there is renewed interest in stories Chopin wrote before her great novel," he writes. "The edition ... makes available for the first time in paperback the two books Kate Chopin's contemporaries most likely knew her by, with the stories selected and arranged as Chopin wanted them to be."
Koloski already has his advance copies of the book and says it is on its way to bookstores now. Amazon.com and the Barnes and Noble web site both report the book is on order and will be available March 3.
Koloski has also edited other books based on Chopin's work including "Approaches to Teaching Chopin's the Awakening" (July 1988, Modern Language Association of America) and "Kate Chopin: A Study of the Short Fiction" (November 1996, Twayne).
Koloski has taught in Mansfield's English department since 1964. After earning his bachelor's degree in English at East Stroudsburg, he went on to earn a master's degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in English and American literature from the University of Arizona. He is a former Fulbright Scholar who taught American literature in Poland during the 1980s. He also served a seven-year term as the first editor of "Scholars," the academic journal of the State System of Higher Education.
Soprano and tenor to perform as part of Fine Arts Series
The MU Fine Arts Committee will present a joint recital by dramatic soprano Rachel Sparer and tenor Gilles Bersier Sunday, Feb. 28, at 3 p.m. in Steadman Theatre.
Both vocalists have vast international experience. Sparer received third prize in the Verviers International Vocal Competition in Belgium and was a finalist in the Francisco Vinas International Competition in Barcelona, while Bersier recently performed Haydn's "Creation" with the Symphonic Choir of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Sparer was awarded first prize in the Wagner Division by the Liederkranz Foundation in the United States. She recently performed the title role of Vanessa with the Kansas City Lyric Opera.
Bersier gave his New York City Recital debut this year at the Theodore Roosevelt Birth House performing the Dichterliebe by Robert Schumann. He performed his first title role in 1996 as Tito in Clemenza di Tito with the West Side Opera in New York.
The performance will include the songs of Faure and Barber.
Brazilian duo to perform here
A former pupil of MU strings professor Kenneth Sarch, music, will be reunited with his mentor Thursday, Feb. 25, as MU's Department of Music presents a guest recital in Steadman Theatre at 8 p.m.
Brazilians Carlos dos Reis, a violist, and his wife Cenira Schreiber, a pianist, will perform sonatas by Shostakovich and Hindemith, the Elegie by Glazunov and the Lachrymae by Britten. Both artists teach and perform in Belo Horizonte, Brazil's third-largest city.
Dos Reis earned his master's degree at Shenandoah University in Virginia where he studied with Sarch. He received his bachelor's degree from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, where he now teaches as an assistant viola professor. He is the principal violist of the Musicoop-Sesiminas Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1995, dos Reis won first prize in the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival Concerto Competition and played as a soloist with the Fairfax Symphony.
Schreiber earned a bachelor's degree in piano from the Federal University School of Music in Minas Gerais and her master's degree from Shenandoah University. She is a pianist for the Minas Gerais State Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra. Schreiber is a piano professor at the State University of Minas Gerais.
The concert, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Mansfield University student chapter of the American String Teachers (ASTA) and the National School Orchestra Association (NSOA). A reception for the visiting artists will follow the recital.
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Hobart King, geography and geology, has co-authored "Geosciences in Action," a CD companion for physical and environmental geology textbooks and published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. It contains self-directed investigations in which students play the role of a practicing geologist conducting mineral resource and geologic hazard assessments. King's colleague's on the project were David DiBiase and Thomas Bell.
MU has received a $5000 Social Equity grant from the Office of the Chancellor for a Peer and Faculty/Staff Mentoring for Successful Minority Student Retention program. University faculty, staff, and students will serve as mentors and resource persons for first-year minority students to enhance their academic and college life experience.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, Bureau of Alcohol Education awarded Mansfield University a $2000 grant for an alcohol abuse prevention program. The university will establish a Presidential Campus-Community Coalition to develop programs to prevent the abusive use of alcohol and other drugs by university students.
Freshman women's basketball player Allyson Buss was named the PSAC Eastern Division Rookie of the Week for her outstanding play during the week ending Feb. 13. The 5-7 Buss led the Mountaineers to a 2-1 record during the week, averaging 16.7 points, 3.0 assists, along with 2.7 rebounds and steals per game. The women's basketball team fell out of contention for a PSAC playoff spot after a 65-51 loss to Kutztown Wednesday.
Lamar Crawford took three top three finishes including second place in the triple jump with a school-record effort at the Robert J. Kane Invitational at Cornell University Saturday. Crawford was also third in the long jump and high jump in a meet that included NCAA Division I schools such as Syracuse, Cornell, Colgate, and the University of Buffalo. For the women's track team, Kelly Maines set a new MU indoor record in the long jump. Also setting new school records were Nichole Beckel who broke a 20-year-old school record by in the 3000 meters and Kim Carmen, who broke her own school record in the pole vault.
The undermanned wrestling team held an early lead but could not keep up with the number one ranked team in NCAA Division II, suffering a 46-4 setback to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Friday evening. Freshman Jason Bainey would give the Mountaineers their only win, and an early 4-3 team lead, with a 9-0 major decision over Jeremy Asher at 157. Bainey now improves to 17-8 on the season.
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